Medellin Reports

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1704389]Not true at all. Most people on any flight to Colombia are Colombians. When have you ever heard your neighbors discussing going to Colombia and Medellin in particular for vacation?[/QUOTE]You are correct, and also business people. I fly the non-stop flight from Atlanta to Bogota when traveling to Colombia, and I mainly see Colombians and business people. Actually the gringos on these flights is usually around the 20% level, and the majority of those seem to be business people. I am quite sure the Atlanta-Medellin flight will be very similar. It only makes sense that with Colombia become more open to business opportunities and foreign investment, that the amount of direct flights from a very international airport like Atlanta's would increase. I'm quite sure its not linked to tourism.

[QUOTE=VegasCrazyGuy;1704123]But enjoy Medellin while we can because it will soon be overrun.[/QUOTE]Atlanta is Delta's major international hub. With the new planes that can fly further, airlines gain by direct flights than stop overs. They do not have to pay airport fees at the stop over airports and less fuel is wasted as a lot is burned at take off and landings. You will not see any major change in the tourists that visit Medellin. It would be business as usual.

As one person was saying before, watch out for minors. In my experience you don't have to ask for ID because they will tell you if you ask. I was downtown one night and saw a girl wearing Minnie Mouse clothes and a bow in her hair. I told my wingman there is no way that chick is 18, just by her clothes alone. I went up and asked and she said she was 15. Then all her friends (who were older, probably in their 30s) starting taunting me asking if I was scared. I said hell yeah I'm scared. I'm not doing anything that would put me in anybody's jail.

[URL]http://www.latintravelvip.com/national-police-close-medellin-venues/[/URL]

What's with all these new posters predicting doom and gloom in Medellin. Just because of a direct flight? FYI, there were predictions that it would get overrun by gringos like Costa Rica. Didn't happen. There were plenty of daily direct flights to Medellin from New York a while back via Avianca. In the $400 range. And there are plenty of Medellin punters from the NY metro area. You guessed it, no noticable change. In fact, they had to cut flights and raise prices. Probably because of low demand.

[QUOTE=Hioctane;1704767]What's with all these new posters predicting doom and gloom in Medellin. Just because of a direct flight? FYI, there were predictions that it would get overrun by gringos like Costa Rica. Didn't happen. There were plenty of daily direct flights to Medellin from New York a while back via Avianca. In the $400 range. And there are plenty of Medellin punters from the NY metro area. You guessed it, no noticable change. In fact, they had to cut flights and raise prices. Probably because of low demand.[/QUOTE]I sent this response to a Vet/Mentor I speak to often via the back channel (off the forum).

We all know the undercurrent theme of these posts. I'll be the one to just go ahead and put it out there: many on here are afraid of a "Weekend Baller" invasion. The kind that a very much prevalent on the strip in Sosua.

I told my friend that I do not believe direct flights from Atlanta will alter anything in Medellin:

(This conversation is from one "brotha" to another)

=================

I don't see it happening. If that was the case, those NY Cats would have long flooded the scene.

A few other things:

1) Medellin is full blown Spanish time. Most guys don't even know elementary Spanish. Sosua is mongering on training wheels, which is why it is so appealing to most.

2) There is no Sosua type setup in Medellin. Maybe in Mayorista, but I doubt dudes could figure out how to get there, let alone navigate the scene. Also, there are only so many rooms at the Mansion. These dudes like to travel in packs, and knowing that one of their boys may not be able to find a room unsettles them. Their only other option are hotels or apartments. 99.9% of hotels in Medellin are not guest friendly, leaving apartments as the final option. Drop these dudes off in Laureles and they will think you just dropped them off in the middle of Kansas.

3) Medellin is not cheap. It would explode most of these dudes budgets who are used to $40 rooms in Sosua. They could pull a Mr. E and setup in $15 rooms at Love Motels in El Centro, but most of them would shit their pants in that area come nightfall. Plus they can't "make it rain" or flaunt their chains down there unless they want a gun in their face or a knife at their back.

=================

I'll add this: as I have said many time, Colombianos set the prices of the local market. Prices at Loutron, Fase Dos, and La Isla (whatever it is called now) are not that high because it is overrun by gringos. We are .05 percent of their patrons.

[QUOTE=Hioctane;1704767]What's with all these new posters predicting doom and gloom in Medellin. Just because of a direct flight? FYI, there were predictions that it would get overrun by gringos like Costa Rica. Didn't happen. There were plenty of daily direct flights to Medellin from New York a while back via Avianca. In the $400 range. And there are plenty of Medellin punters from the NY metro area. You guessed it, no noticable change. In fact, they had to cut flights and raise prices. Probably because of low demand.[/QUOTE]Agreed. The average american is still scared to go to Colombia. Businessmen will always go, no matter what. Punters already have already long appreciated going to Medellin. That's not going to change.

Demand for tickets will stay the same, and the number of seats goes up, which means that prices will go DOWN.

[QUOTE=Manny51;1705232]
Demand for tickets will stay the same, and the number of seats goes up, which means that prices will go DOWN.[/QUOTE]Lately the trend for airlines has been to cut the number of flights, pack as many people as they can into one flight, and charge more.

All the posts are merely talking about their "estimates" based on self-serving logics and wishful-thinking. We need impersonal, statistical findings- ie. Percentages of increased and decreased tourism after introductions of 100 or 200 direct flights in the past.

[QUOTE=Manny51;1705232]Agreed. The average american is still scared to go to Colombia. Businessmen will always go, no matter what. Punters already have already long appreciated going to Medellin. That's not going to change.

Demand for tickets will stay the same, and the number of seats goes up, which means that prices will go DOWN.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MattPsyche;1705375]All the posts are merely talking about their "estimates" based on self-serving logics and wishful-thinking. We need impersonal, statistical findings- ie. Percentages of increased and decreased tourisms after introductions of 100 or 200 direct flights in the past.

.[/QUOTE]Come on man, is it really that important that we need to gather statistical evidence?

Life goes on, enjoy.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1704765]As one person was saying before, watch out for minors. In my experience you don't have to ask for ID because they will tell you if you ask. I was downtown one night and saw a girl wearing Minnie Mouse clothes and a bow in her hair. I told my wingman there is no way that chick is 18, just by her clothes alone. I went up and asked and she said she was 15. Then all her friends (who were older, probably in their 30s) starting taunting me asking if I was scared. I said hell yeah I'm scared. I'm not doing anything that would put me in anybody's jail.

[URL]http://www.latintravelvip.com/national-police-close-medellin-venues/[/URL][/QUOTE]Yikes I'll be in Medellin the 29th of May until June 7th and I hope the hotel I will be staying in isn't shut down according to the report dated 4/7/15. It's the one located between the museum and the church adjacent to Botero Plaza which I have stayed at in the past. Very dicey at night but fortunately I can pass for a Colombian.

I said that we need to see statistical findings. I didn't say that ISG members must gather statistics and report findings. Mere speculations without objective indicators are useless for this kind of topics.

[QUOTE=Ricker;1705403]Come on man, is it really that important that we need to gather statistical evidence?

Life goes on, enjoy.[/QUOTE]

After spending a couple months in Medellin I just want to write up a trip report for any guys making their first trip and looking for a general guide. As for all you old curmudgeons that just hang out on this forum to proof read, criticize and debate every little topic please just ignore this post because I'm not into all the back and forth.

Regarding lodging I stayed in both El Poblado and in Laureles and I liked both equally well. Both areas felt perfectly safe to me both day and night. El Poblado has more shopping and more of a business district while Laureles felt more like a very hip neighborhood in a big city with many outdoor food & drink places. When I return I'll probably again split my time between these two areas. I didn't pick up any chicas off the streets or the bars in either area either because my tastes are too fussy or because I didn't stay out really late at night when there are likely more chicas looking to make some silver (plata is the Paisa word most often used for money).

I started with the strip clubs because "I love strip clubs!" As I stated in an earlier report the only Medellin strip club I found worth visiting is Fase Dos. The nice thing about the clubs is you can drink and chat with all the girls which is what I like to do. Even with my beginner level Spanish. When you get that feeling that you're ready for action and you've found the right girl you just let her know you want to go next door to South Beach. The total cost for girl and room is 180 mil or about $72 USA Today for an hour or "until you finish". The goal therefore is to make the phone ring after one hour. If you need to buy a condom it'll cost you 5 mil. Get used to using the word "mil" for thousand. From my experience it's best to visit the strip clubs after midnight. Face Dos is jammed and the best looking chicas are working then. After my session I usually worked up an appetite and there's a great little outdoor food counter right there along the sidewalk. Lots more folks to interact with again.

Unfortunately in Medellin there appear to be no classy bars or clubs (like in Panama) where dozens of hot and sexy dressed up girls just stare at you as you walk in the door and want to go back to your hotel room. The cost in Panama is more but well worth it to me. Anyhow back to Medellin there are some seedy little bars / strip clubs with rooms above or behind the bar for pretty cheap. I don't remember the exact cost because each chica negotiates their price. But I'm thinking it was like 100 mil for 30 minutes or 120 mil for one hour. Find these places on the well known "casa map". They are marked with wine or champagne glasses in the el centro area of Medellin. I did these places only because the guys I hung with loved these seedy joints. Oh and maybe because I like a good drinking party.

For me the highlight of Medellin was the casas. I would recommend making a visit to Casa Loutron on top of the hill just for the views. I went up twice and only planned on doing business if a chica was worth their high price. Didn't find more than a solid 8 working here on either visit so just had one expensive beer and back down the hill. Still never any regrets going up here. The second nicest casa is Relajacion Corporal Energy next to the soccer stadium. The rooms here are REALLY nice. But my experience is that the girls are overly experienced and sorta hardened. I don't recall the exact price here but it seemed fair for really nice place in a good neighborhood. Just wish they would have some more fresh girls. Or that they would maybe just act more fresh. I think the best time to visit Energy is early to mid afternoon on weekdays.

But when I return to Medellin I'll be going straight back to the el centro casas. This is where it's possible to find some younger and fresher girls with good attitudes. And the prices are amazingly cheap. Have a taxi drop you off near Parque Bolivar (pronounced Parkay Bow-LEE-var, you need to stress the LEE!) Pull up the casa map on your smartphone and start exploring the casas. They can be hard to find because apparently signage is not allowed. If you're exploring alone I'd try to start early like maybe noonish and finish by 3 PM or so. And I usually duck into a small business to pull out my smartphone. There a lot of "less fortunate than us" youths sharing the same streets here. No reason to name any individual casas because it's hit and miss from one day to the next. Just get out there and adventure!

I also visited the cave at the Mansion one night only because I didn't stay there. But I did stay with Colombia Jake ([URL]colombiajake.com[/URL]) a few nights when hotel rates were more expensive. I think either the Mansion or Jake is a good option for a first time visitor with limited days in town. With either option you will have immediate action your first night. Jake will also tour you in el centro on the casas and whatever else you are interested. He helped me get my phone going and with some other stuff too.

I also found a couple English speaking taxi drivers who helped me a lot. If anyone wants a driver name and number just PM me.

Great info bro. I found face dos is more like the American stripclub only difference is that you can get down the the stripper. The chicas at fade dos are all tall too. The new guys to medellin will def appreciate you report. I can't wait to go in May.

[QUOTE=VegasCrazyGuy;1705465]After spending a couple months in Medellin I just want to write up a trip report for any guys making their first trip and looking for a general guide. As for all you old curmudgeons that just hang out on this forum to proof read, criticize and debate every little topic please just ignore this post because I'm not into all the back and forth.

Regarding lodging I stayed in both El Poblado and in Laureles and I liked both equally well. Both areas felt perfectly safe to me both day and night. El Poblado has more shopping and more of a business district while Laureles felt more like a very hip neighborhood in a big city with many outdoor food & drink places. When I return I'll probably again split my time between these two areas. I didn't pick up any chicas off the streets or the bars in either area either because my tastes are too fussy or because I didn't stay out really late at night when there are likely more chicas looking to make some silver (plata is the Paisa word most often used for money).

I started with the strip clubs because "I love strip clubs!" As I stated in an earlier report the only Medellin strip club I found worth visiting is Fase Dos. The nice thing about the clubs is you can drink and chat with all the girls which is what I like to do. Even with my beginner level Spanish. When you get that feeling that you're ready for action and you've found the right girl you just let her know you want to go next door to South Beach. The total cost for girl and room is 180 mil or about $72 USA Today for an hour or "until you finish". The goal therefore is to make the phone ring after one hour. If you need to buy a condom it'll cost you 5 mil. Get used to using the word "mil" for thousand. From my experience it's best to visit the strip clubs after midnight. Face Dos is jammed and the best looking chicas are working then. After my session I usually worked up an appetite and there's a great little outdoor food counter right there along the sidewalk. Lots more folks to interact with again.

Unfortunately in Medellin there appear to be no classy bars or clubs (like in Panama) where dozens of hot and sexy dressed up girls just stare at you as you walk in the door and want to go back to your hotel room. The cost in Panama is more but well worth it to me. Anyhow back to Medellin there are some seedy little bars / strip clubs with rooms above or behind the bar for pretty cheap. I don't remember the exact cost because each chica negotiates their price. But I'm thinking it was like 100 mil for 30 minutes or 120 mil for one hour. Find these places on the well known "casa map". They are marked with wine or champagne glasses in the el centro area of Medellin. I did these places only because the guys I hung with loved these seedy joints. Oh and maybe because I like a good drinking party.

For me the highlight of Medellin was the casas. I would recommend making a visit to Casa Loutron on top of the hill just for the views. I went up twice and only planned on doing business if a chica was worth their high price. Didn't find more than a solid 8 working here on either visit so just had one expensive beer and back down the hill. Still never any regrets going up here. The second nicest casa is Relajacion Corporal Energy next to the soccer stadium. The rooms here are REALLY nice. But my experience is that the girls are overly experienced and sorta hardened. I don't recall the exact price here but it seemed fair for really nice place in a good neighborhood. Just wish they would have some more fresh girls. Or that they would maybe just act more fresh. I think the best time to visit Energy is early to mid afternoon on weekdays.

But when I return to Medellin I'll be going straight back to the el centro casas. This is where it's possible to find some younger and fresher girls with good attitudes. And the prices are amazingly cheap. Have a taxi drop you off near Parque Bolivar (pronounced Parkay Bow-LEE-var, you need to stress the LEE!) Pull up the casa map on your smartphone and start exploring the casas. They can be hard to find because apparently signage is not allowed. If you're exploring alone I'd try to start early like maybe noonish and finish by 3 PM or so. And I usually duck into a small business to pull out my smartphone. There a lot of "less fortunate than us" youths sharing the same streets here. No reason to name any individual casas because it's hit and miss from one day to the next. Just get out there and adventure!

I also visited the cave at the Mansion one night only because I didn't stay there. But I did stay with Colombia Jake ([URL]colombiajake.com[/URL]) a few nights when hotel rates were more expensive. I think either the Mansion or Jake is a good option for a first time visitor with limited days in town. With either option you will have immediate action your first night. Jake will also tour you in el centro on the casas and whatever else you are interested. He helped me get my phone going and with some other stuff too.

I also found a couple English speaking taxi drivers who helped me a lot. If anyone wants a driver name and number just PM me.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=OldParr;1705418]We need Reefski back posting. Matty boy please consider taking a time out as you really do need it, with your idiotic postings with statistics and such. You are making yourself look like a fool, seriously.[/QUOTE]Haha are you really serious? You are very good at impersonating a douchy moron. Please take a paus from acting like a *******.

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;1704765]As one person was saying before, watch out for minors. In my experience you don't have to ask for ID because they will tell you if you ask. I was downtown one night and saw a girl wearing Minnie Mouse clothes and a bow in her hair. I told my wingman there is no way that chick is 18, just by her clothes alone. I went up and asked and she said she was 15. Then all her friends (who were older, probably in their 30s) starting taunting me asking if I was scared. I said hell yeah I'm scared. I'm not doing anything that would put me in anybody's jail.

[URL]http://www.latintravelvip.com/national-police-close-medellin-venues/[/URL][/QUOTE]The BS to all this Brothel to the World is that the area is IMHO having lived in el centro for 6 months of each of the past 5 years is +99% Colombianos partaking in delights of the area. The Argentine guy who made the documentary film portrayed MDE as another BKK or Amsterdam filled with foreign sex tourists which is total BS. Under 18 chicas is a another issue and should have been dealt with by the police long ago.